1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for shaping a meat product in a continuous extrusion process to provide uniformly sized and shaped final food product.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of food items such as sausages and other meat products, control over the ultimate size and shape of the product is of great importance. Size and shape of the final meat product are interrelated, since control of the shape allows a processor to have better control over the size of individual product portions. Uniformity in shape of final product contributes to uniformity in product size. This has importance both for quality and cost control, and for the appeal of the final product to purchasers in the marketplace.
In an attempt to promote uniformity in size and shape, meat product processors have used a variety of structures. These structures include extruders and formers of varying kinds, some of which feature simple slicing mechanisms for sectioning a stream of meat product. Other devices for controlling the size and shape of meat product portions have included the concept of feeding meat product through a series of passageways under pressure. In these structures, however, only an outlet gate with an operable opening and closing mechanism is provided, for the purpose of chopping or sectioning streams of meat product.
Even the most sop sophisticated of previous structures, including those having an outlet gate, have produced a final product which is less than fully desirable. The absence of an inlet gate allowed collection of meat fibers at the opening of meat passageways, so that unrestricted flow of meat could not be assured. In addition, the opening and closing of the outlet gate for sectioning while meat continued to enter the passageways under pressure resulted in the creation of a "tail" on most of the individual meat product portions. The misshaping of such portions in this fashion was an unfavorable result, because of its negative impact upon the consumer. Additionally, the inability to properly control the flow of meat product through the opening of the meat passageways, and to squarely cut the product stream into uniform sections, severely restricted the ability of meat processors to control the product so produced.
Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for more accurately controlling the flow of meat product into extrusion passageways.
A further object of the present invention is to provide means within the extrusion passageways for independently controlling the flow of meat product therethrough so as to encourage uniform flow in each such passageway.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the controlled operation of opposing inlet gates and outlet gates defining meat extrusion passageways, so that the flow of meat product therethrough can be more accurately controlled.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for shaping meat product in a manner that results in uniform size and shape of individual meat products.